War Prevention Project
by RosalieMalfoy
Summary: The ministry decides to interfere at Hogwarts in the form of a war prevention project thus the title. this causes some new changes and some pairings that nobody is happy with. NOT A MARRIAGE LAW FIC. Please read and review! XP


**Disclaimer: I only own the plot line**

**Please read and review! XP**

War Prevention Project

"Harry! Ron! Ginny! Wait up!" Hermione yelled across the platform. She had arrived a few minutes ago but had just spotted her friends when they got on the Hogwarts Express.

"Hey Hermione! How was your summer?" Ginny asked when she had caught up with them.

"Fantastic! My parents and I vacationed in Hawaii with my cousin. It was really Fun!" Hermione gushed.

"You look different......... did you do something with your hair?" Ginny asked as the two girls followed Harry and Ron to an open compartment.

"Yeah. My cousin is big into fashion and she forced me to let her make me over. I hated all the make up she used on me but the clothes and the hair relaxing cream did a world of good, and I found a charm that relaxes my hair so I don't have to spend extra time in the morning. I just didn't want to break out my new clothes on the train ride to Hogwarts because I would just have to change anyways. But you'll see them soon." she said as she entered the otherwise empty compartment. Hermione stood in the doorway waiting for the others to get settled before she took off again.

"Why aren't you sitting down?" Ron asked her.

"Because I have to go to the Heads' department to give out instructions and passwords to the prefects. You should probably come with me Ginny." She said. Ron had given up his role as prefect. He preferred to help Harry the old fashioned way; sneaking. Hermione reached behind her to open the door as Ginny stood up to follow her out. When she had the door opened she turned around to leave and ran straight into and very muscular chest.

"Watch it mudblood!" Draco Malfoy spat pushing Hermione into the wall.

"Get out of the way ferret." she said calmly looking in his storm grey eyes.

"What if I don't want to? What are you going to do about it?" He challenged.

"Well, how about I hex you straight to St. Mungo's? That sound like a plan?" She seethed

"Whatever Granger." He said then stalked off in the direction of the Heads' compartment.

"See ya guys." she sulked as she followed Malfoy to the Heads' compartment. After sitting down across from Malfoy, Hermione reached into her purse and took out her palm pilot. Hearing the little jingle it made as she turned it on Malfoy looked up at her and asked, "What is that thing?"

"It's a palm pilot. I got it for my birthday."

"What in the name of Merlin is a palm pilot?"

"It's a muggle device that allows me to organize my calendar and such."

"That's the most stupid thing I've ever heard of." He said matter-of-factly.

"Whatever. Now are you ready to go and give the prefects their pre-feast speech?" She asked.

"I don't really want to. Why don't you do it for me?" He smirked.

"I don't think so. Besides you're the only one who can open the envelope containing the password to the Slytherin common room. You also have to pick the head prefect for Ravenclaw house."

"Fine." He got up and brushed passed her heading into the compartment across the hallway. When Hermione entered the compartment Draco already had a burly looking sixth year Ravenclaw boy standing next to him, and he was saying, "............now the only thing you can do that the other prefects can't is you can boss the other prefects in your house around. I'm afraid that the ability to deduct more than 10 house points is still a privilege that resides with the Heads and the teachers."

"Malfoy. What are you doing?" She asked wondering how she was going to make it through the year while having to work with him.

"I'm doing exactly what you told me to Granger. Or, have you forgotten already?" He sneered.

"Whatever. Lucy," Hermione addressed a sixth year Hufflepuff, "You are head prefect for Hufflepuff house. I expect you to not abuse your position and if you have a problem with this appointment you can talk to me later. Now, everybody, the head prefect for each house will be given an envelope containing the password that will allow access to each of your common rooms. And, once at the school we must meet with professor McGonagall before sitting down at our respective table. Now, after your head prefect gives you the password, you can enjoy the rest of your journey. And, don't be afraid to discourage inappropriate behavior." After she had handed out the envelopes to the other heads, Hermione opened her own then addressing the Gryffindor prefects she said, "The password this year is _centaur_, remember you cannot tell anyone outside of Gryffindor house. Enjoy the rest of your ride." Hermione waited for Ginny before heading back to the compartment the boys were in.

Once arriving at Hogwarts Hermione directed all the prefects to a side room, then she chatted with Ginny while she waited for McGonagall to show up.

"So, you never told me. Are you and Harry finally together. I know that he wanted you to wait until after he defeated Voldemort, but things have been really quiet lately so...." she trailed off.

"No. We snogged a few times, but he continues to think that dating me would put me in more danger than I'm already in." Ginny said glumly.

"Well at least you know he cares about you" Hermione finished when McGonagall walked in. After reaching the front of the room she addressed the prefects, "Dumbledore's untimely death is indeed a tragedy. However, I would like the school year to progress as normally as possible. I will try my hardest to make that possible and I expect you to help as well. There will be some changes to adjust to this year. The ministry has insisted on implementing a war prevention plan. There will be several steps to this which you will be informed of later. I expect you all to participate and to be good representatives of your respective houses. Now, if you would all join your fellow classmates in the Great Hall I have to see to some first years." McGonagall started to leave only to turn back and say, "Oh, Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy, I must speak to you before you retire to your common room tonight. You should come and talk to me at the teachers table after the rest of your classmates have been dismissed for the evening." She then turned around and left the room leaving Hermione, Draco, and Ginny on their own.

"Well that doesn't sound promising," Ginny said with a chuckle. Then the two girls headed into the Great Hall and took a seat next to Harry and Ron. At the end of the feast McGonagall stood up and reminded the students of the castle rules. Then, she dismissed the students and sat down to wait for Hermione and Draco. Hermione bid her friends farewell and made her way to the staff table. She saw that Draco was doing the same.

"Thank you for following directions so promptly." McGonagall said when both Hermione and Draco had arrived. "Before I begin I must tell you that I fought this ministry proposal with all the power I have. I'm sorry to inform you that it didn't do any good. So, the first part of the War Prevention Act involves only you two. According to the minister, the sole cause of war in the English wizarding community is the house conflicts that begin at Hogwarts. I think that he is completely mental. However..."

"Could you just get to the point?" Draco interrupted.

"I was Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall said icily, "Ms. Granger and yourself will be sharing living quarters this year. Unless of course you have some connection at the ministry I am unaware of Mr. Malfoy."

" Unfortunately, professor, I don't, however I will be talking to my father about this." Draco informed while looking quite livid.

"I assure you professor, you will have no problems to deal with from us." Hermione promised. "we will probably just avoid each other at all costs." she added to herself. Draco snorted.

"Thank you for your assurance Ms. Granger. Now, I assume you would like to settle in before you retire for the night. Please, follow me." McGonagall led Hermione and Draco out of the Great Hall and through a side door that she had never noticed before. She then took the two up three flights of stairs until they reached a statue of fawn playing the pan-flute, behind him was a painting of two trees twisting together. The trees were two different colors. One looked like it was on fire with flowers that looked like roses, the other's branches were full to breaking with beautiful white flowers. "This will be the entrance to your common room. The password is _civitus._ Which means citizenship. Now if you would follow me..." She recited the password to the statue which proceeded to jump to the side and bow to the painting. Hermione and Draco watched in awe as the the two trees in the painting untwisted to reveal a doorway into a common room that was much grander than the other house common rooms they had seen. McGonagall continued her tour of the place while Hermione admired the dark purple and gold tapestries that hung on the walls serving as wallpaper. Then the mahogany floors and the black leather overstuffed furniture. There were also two desks against the opposite wall, another seating area where one wall was a giant bookshelf, and there was a kitchenette, just in case. "Miss Granger, if you would please listen for a moment and then I will let you be," McGonagall said, pulling Hermione out of her awe induced state. Hermione nodded for her to continue, "Well there are two archways on that wall over there. The silver one leads to Mr. Malfoy's bedroom, the gold leads to Ms. Granger's. You both have separate bathrooms equipped with a shower a vanity and a closet. There is a bathroom that is connected to both sides that contains a bathtub if you should feel the need for a good soak. I expect no trouble from either of you. I will see you in the morning." With that she left.

As soon as McGonagall was out of the common room, Draco rounded on Hermione saying, "Okay, Granger, here's the deal. I don't really want to dread coming back to my own common room so here are the ground rules. In this room we will be at least civil to each other. If you decide to take a bath you need to lock the door because I really don't want to see **that**. And, lastly, you will not have St. Potter and the Weasel over under any circumstances. If you want to hang out with them then you can go to the Gryffindor common room. Oh, and, the same goes for Longbottom."

"Fine," Hermione agreed, surprised that he had even suggested it, "but, you have to follow the same rules, and no having Crabby, Gargoyle, or Parkinson over either. My IQ drops enough just being in the same class as them, I don't need them hanging around the common room as well."

"Fine." He grunted, "Well, I'm off to bed." He then turned on his heel and strutted through the silver archway.

After he was out of sight Hermione decided to search the room a bit more. She discovered that the corner with the bookshelf had condensed versions of every section of the library. Of course, that didn't mean that she would spend any less time in the actual library. She also discovered that the kitchenette was just a silver platter that happened to conjure what ever you asked it to. Which was really cool. Then she decided it was time to head off to bed. After all, they did have classes the next day.

Walking through the golden arch was like walking into her dream bedroom. Immediately walking through the arch, Hermione found herself in a small hallway, with three doors. She opened the one on the right to find the bathroom that Professor McGonagall told her about. She assumed that the one on the left was the door to the tub. Hermione didn't open that one because she only took baths when she was really angry or stressed. She didn't think she would have need of a good soak until much later in the year. Although, she did live with Malfoy.............. Anyways, through the door in front of her was her bedroom. It was like walking into her very own room in Gryffindor tower. The walls were just stone, but the bed was a king sized four poster with a maroon duvet cover and four giant pillows. When she looked out her window she saw that she had almost the same view. Except, of course, that this room was much closer to the ground.

After brushing her teeth and reading through a chapter in her favorite book (Hogwarts, A History) Hermione fell asleep while thinking of what tomorrow would hold.

Draco Malfoy woke up with the worst headache he had ever had on the first day back from school. He suspected that it was because he was dreading starting all the N.E.W.T level classes his mother had made him sign up for. She had said that since they had left his father and all of the Malfoy money that he would have to make his own way in the world. Not that he was worried of course. His father had written to him to make sure that he knew that, "out of family duty, I'm leaving you the family estate and half of the Malfoy fortune." He had only agreed to take the classes because he didn't just want to sit at home and squander his money away. He wanted to be somewhat useful. However, by the time he had arrived late to potions, his third class of the day, he was thinking he should've gone with Pansy's approach. She was taking three classes; Divination, Herbology, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. "Wow, she has it easy," he thought taking the only available seat.

Hermione sat down next to Harry when she arrived in potions on the first day of class. She noticed that this class was significantly smaller than last years class. She only had time to mention this to Harry when Professor Snape walked in. The Ministry had agreed to let him keep his job only after McGonagall had written the Minister a very nasty howler. "I assume that all of you have had your fair share of lectures about the importance of N.E.W.T.s?" When he received no response he continued by saying, "Good, then I don't need to remind you and waste an entire class period discussing it. Today we will be reviewing a potion of you, and your partner's, choice. After I pair you up, you and your partner will decide on a potion, and then proceed to make me a sample. This potion must be something that you have brewed in my class in the the last six years." He said this while looking pointedly at Hermione and Harry. "I don't know if you have, as of yet, been informed but the ministry has decided that they are going to pick your partners for you this year. So, here it goes. Harry Potter and Millicent Bulstrode, Vincent Crabbe and Parvati Patil, Ron Weasley and Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger. Now all of you get to work."

When Hermione had reached the desk that Draco was sitting at she asked, "Which potion do you want to make? I'm up for anything really." Draco just stared at her. "Okay........................Well, why don't we make a headache curing potion.............. you kinda look like you have one." there was an awkward pause.

"Fine. I'll go and get the ingredients, you go find it in the fifth year book." Hermione nodded and headed toward the book shelf while Draco went to get the supplies that he remembered from the instructions. He could always go back to the supply cupboard if he had forgotten something, which wasn't likely.

After the pair had been working for an hour Draco asked, "What did Snape mean when he said we could only make potions that we had brewed in his class? He looked at you and Potty when he said it." Draco was genuinely curious so he tried to keep all of the malice out of his voice.

"Well second year we kinda stole from his personal stores in order to brew a potion from the restricted section." Hermione said guiltily. She had hoped that Snape's pointed stare hadn't been noticed.

"What did you need to do that for?" Draco asked. Her answer had only made him more curious.

"I'm not going to tell you." She said trying to close the discussion.

"Well I will find out. And trust me Granger, I never forget." Draco said with every intention of finding out exactly what Hermione and her buddies had gotten into in their second year.

Hermione didn't know what was up. She had known that Malfoy was going to be somewhat civil to her when they were both in the common room, but his civility during classes caught her completely off guard. When her and Malfoy had completed their potion they continued to talk while they walked back to their common room. At the entrance Draco stopped. He turned to Hermione and said quite bluntly, "Why did you walk with me?"

Hermione was, once again, caught off guard. "What do you mean? We were talking, and we were both going to the same place so......" she trailed off confused.

"I mean, why didn't you wait for Potty and Weasel? They're your friends aren't they? Or, did you finally figure out that the only reason that they like you is because you help them with their homework?" Draco smirked. But, Hermione quickly collected herself and calmly answered his question. "I have someone coming over, and Harry and Ron won't be done with their potion for a few more hours. I don't always have to hang out with them you know."

Draco was taken aback. "I thought we agreed that you wouldn't bring any of your freak friends over." He said maliciously.

"No," Hermione said coldly, "I said that Harry, Ron, and Neville wouldn't come over. I never agreed to a stipulation that said that none of my friends could come over. Besides, she had a date tonight, so me and another one of my friends are going to help her get ready for it."

"It better not be that Luna Lovegood girl. I do NOT want her in my common room." He stared at her.

"No, it isn't Luna. I'm really only friends with her by association." Hermione clarified.

"Then may I ask who is stupid enough to ask for your help preparing for a date?" He smirked. Hermione was hurt. He could see it in her honey brown eyes. But, as soon as he had determined what emotion he was seeing, it was gone. Hermione stared at him with as much ice as she could muster. "It is none of your business who I spend my time with." She turned on her heel and, after yelling the password at a frightened looking fawn statue, stormed off through the portrait. Draco's comment had hurt her. She felt it stinging. And, it wasn't what he said that hurt, it was that **He** had said it. That hurt more than the words. He was the quo setter at Hogwarts. If he said she wasn't pretty then she wasn't. She decided that maybe her cousins tips could work to her advantage after all. She hadn't done her hair that morning, but as soon as she grabbed a different set of clothes out of her wardrobe she went into the bathroom and charmed her hair so that it relax and hang in smooth curls down her back. She then changed into the outfit that her cousin said looked the best on her. It was a black thick strapped tank-top with a square neck that came down farther than she was comfortable with, her cousin had made sure that she got the size that clung to her waist. She then pulled on some low-rise dark wash jeans with black flats. Right as she was finishing her make-up she heard the knock on the portrait. Hermione walked under the archway to see that Draco had already let her guest in. He was presently sitting in the overstuffed armchair facing her. By the look on his face, her plan had worked. He wouldn't call her plain anymore. It was at that moment that Ginny decided to squeal, "OMGsh Hermione! You look AWESOME! You weren't kidding when you said your cousin had made you over. I don't know why you don't dress like that everyday!" She ran up and gave Hermione a hug. Hermione then noticed the absence of a crucial part of their trio. "Where's Rosalie?" She asked. Rosalie was a seventh year Ravenclaw that Hermione and Ginny had befriended at the Yule Ball during the TriWizard tournament.

"Oh, well she got sick." Ginny looked down, "She did send some fashion magazines with some cool beauty spells in them though." Ginny said excitedly.

"So, who is your date with tonight?" Hermione asked.

"Harry," Ginny said. Draco snorted, but Hermione just ignored him.

"He finally asked you out!?" She squealed.

"Well, yeah. But, he said that we aren't officially dating that it's still to dangerous." Ginny sighed. "I guess it's a start. That's why I want to look ravishing tonight. I want to show him what he's missing."

"Just shag him." Draco said from his seat in the char. Hermione was shocked that he was actually serious. Before Hermione could retort Ginny said, "It's not like that between us. I'm not just some booty call. He cares for me. It's not the type of relationship I would expect you to understand." Before Draco could retort the two girls had retreated to the confines of Hermione's bedroom.

Draco was stunned. When he had told Hermione that she wasn't pretty, it wasn't true, not in the least. But, the Hermione he just saw made the Hermione that had walked into the common room look like a hag. She was beautiful, if she wasn't a mudblood he would probably stand on his head in his underwear on the staff table in the Great Hall just so that she would go out with him. As it was, she was a muggle born. Which meant that she was inferior to him by birth. It wasn't fair, but that's the way it was. His mother had never believed that. That's one of the reasons she had left Lucius. That, and to go into hiding. She had defied the Dark Lord, and she was a Death Eater which meant that she couldn't go to the ministry. She was currently somewhere in France.

After about an hour of reading Draco decided to head down to the Slytherin common room. It was about 4 which meant that he had an hour before dinner started. He also had overheard Ginny saying that Potter wasn't picking her up until seven, and Blaise had to see the real Hermione. He would never believe this.

When he arrived in the common room he saw Blaise sitting with Pansy and Crabbe trying to explain the charms homework to them. He decided to save him another hour of failure. "Oi! Blaise! I have something I have to talk to you about." Draco smirked to himself. Walking toward Draco, Blaise said, "I know that look......... You found another girl! It's been a while, man. Is she new?" Blaise was curious. He knew that when Draco found a pretty girl it was something to be excited about.

"That's kinda what I have to talk to you about mate." Draco said. "It's also not what you think. I don't want to shag her or anything. I just have to have you see her because you'll never believe who it is."

"Who? Who? Come on. I'm dying to know." Blaise said.

"It's Granger." Blaise gasped, "I know, I know, stop looking at me like that. I called her ugly. Which we have both discussed because normally she isn't ugly. Normally she's above average........... For a mudblood Gryffindor. Well anyways, apparently she took it personally. When the Weaselette arrived she came out looking like a super model or something. It was ridiculous."

"Well mate," Blaise said with a smirk, "you don't want to shag her, and you don't want to date her right?" Draco nodded, "So there is only one thing to do. I've got to start hanging around your common room more often."

"Are you crazy!?" Draco half yelled, "You can't date her. She's a mudblood."

"Well there's only one way to find out if I can date her." Blaise said thoughtfully, "We have a pizza party stake out! Come on." Blaise said excitedly pushing Draco out of the common room and toward the Head's Common room.

"Well, I'm done," Hermione told Ginny after what seemed like hours. She had to admit that Ginny looked very pretty though. Ginny got up and ran to Hermione's bathroom, then ran back and gave Hermione a big hug. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! What time is it?" Ginny asked anxiously.

"It's only 5. Why?" Hermione asked curiously.

"cause I'm hungry," Ginny complained.

"Well we could go the kitchenette and get some pizza or something." Hermione suggested.

"But, I'm eating dinner with Harry." Ginny said confused.

"Well if you eat pizza now, then when you go on your date you can get a salad and not look like a pig." Hermione explained. Ginny nodded with a smile. The two girls got up and went into the common room.

Draco and Blaise had just entered the common room when Hermione and Ginny came out of Hermione's room. Presumably they were done getting Ginny prepared for her date. But, Blaise thought that if Harry was going to notice anything but Hermione's cleavage, then they still had a lot of work to do. It was at this moment that Draco leaned over and whispered, "You see the predicament I'm in?" Blaise couldn't really see what Draco's problem was. Sure, Hermione wasn't a pureblood. But, in special cases, that could be overlooked. Hermione was beautiful, smart, and he didn't know what her personality was like, but he was going to find out. Leaning over and whispering in Draco's ear Blaise said, "I'm going to date her. And, I'm going to shag her." Blaise smirked.

"You're going to what?!" Draco yelled drawing attention to themselves, "you can't do that she's a mudblood, unless you were talking about the blood traitor which is just as bad." Blaise smirked

"How do you know that I wasn't talking about both?" Draco stood with his mouth open for a second, then said, "Good luck man, you're going to need it." Then he went back into his room leaving Blaise alone with the two girls.

"Hey ladies," Blaise said smiling, "which one of you has a date tonight? Cause you both look ready to party." He laughed.

"Not that I don't love the flattery Blaise." Ginny said smiling, "But, why exactly are you talking to us?" Blaise smiled then said, "Because I've decided to put the past behind me."

"Maybe you should start putting the past behind you with people you haven't hated for 6 years." Ginny laughed. Then to Hermione's complete astonishment Ginny asked Blaise to sit down and have some pizza with them. The three talked and laughed until about six thirty when Ginny said, "Oh, I need to be getting back to the common room. Wouldn't want to be late to 'dinner'" She laughed, then got up and grabbed her stuff and headed out of the portrait hole. When she was gone, Blaise turned his lake blue eyes to Hermione. He had been thinking about how he was going to make her his girl, he decided to just go with the direct approach. "Hermione?" Blaise said to get her attention, "I know that I haven't been the nicest person to you over the last six years. I want to apologize. You see, I was just jealous of you. You were smart, pretty, and you had real friends. But after watching you in classes and stuff I realized there's more to you than that. I like you Hermione. And not in the 'oh I want you to be my best friend' sort of way. I was wondering if you would do me the honor of accompanying me to Hogsmead next Saturday?" Of course, Blaise was lying through his teeth about being jealous of her, and pretty much everything else. But Hermione didn't know that.

"Sure Blaise, I would love to. On one condition. We have to have drinks with Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Luna at the Three Broomsticks." Hermione smiled. Blaise nodded, smirking. Then he said, "I'll meet you outside the Great Hall at ten." Then he got up and left.

Unbeknownst to Blaise, Draco was standing underneath the silver archway through his speech. Draco hadn't had a problem with Blaise going for Hermione because he didn't think that she would actually say yes. To tell the truth, he had a big problem with Blaise and Hermione even having one date. Walking up to the couch Draco smirked then, looking at Hermione he said, "Wow. You're even more desperate then I thought you were. That was almost Neville worthy, Granger. Congratulations. I'm thoroughly disgusted."

"Well, he asked me. And, even though the ministry is seriously lacking and deranged. I actually agree with the war prevention project. So, I'm going to do everything in my power to promote inter-house relations." Hermione said. Then standing up, she marched over to Draco and said thoughtfully, "right after the next five seconds anyways." She then pulled back her hand and punched him in the right eye.

"What was that for?!" Draco yelled.

"That was for saying that I wasn't pretty." Hermione smiled. Then Draco screamed. "You filthy mudblood! I ought to hex you to next year! Just wait until......"

"Mr. Malfoy. Ms. Granger. I am appalled." Professor McGonagall interrupted. "I came to see if you two had assigned any detentions for the evening, but I see that I will have to be the one assigning detentions. Both of you, my office in thirty minutes."

Thirty minutes later Draco and Hermione sat staring in disbelief at McGonagall.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Hermione said. "We have to clean your office!?"

"Yes Ms. Granger, that is precisely what I want you to do. I'll see you in two hours." With that McGonagall left.

After an hour and a half they were still only about a third of the way through McGonagall's stuff when Draco cut himself on a broken picture frame. As the cut oozed blood onto the table Draco said angrily, "Great, this is all your fault you stupid mudblood."

"Draco." Hermione said using is first name, "Let's resolve this once and for all." Hermione then took a piece of glass from the frame the slice open her finger. She squeezed the cut until a bit a blood was dripping out. Then she let the blood fall onto the table were Draco's blood was. "Look," she instructed, "There is no difference between your blood and mine, not even in color. And there certainly isn't any mud." Then she walked away leaving him speechless.

Draco wasn't sure what he expected. He obviously knew that Hermione's blood didn't actually have mud in it. But, he didn't think that it would look exactly the same as his. He figured that there had to be some difference between a wizards blood and a muggle's. He knew that they weren't the same on a DNA level. But, it seemed silly to break it down that far. Besides, everyones DNA was different. He was stunned. He just sat in McGonagall's office, waiting to form a coherent thought. He didn't think that he was prepared to except Hermione as his equal, but maybe he could still have her as a friend, or friendly acquaintance rather. After all, Crabbe and Goyle were definitely not up to the same standard as him, but he still called them friend. Most of the time. Well he would definitely have to think about that one. Maybe he should write to his mother. He had always assumed that she was pureblood supremacist like his father, but he had never really heard her voice her opinion, never ridicule muggles, or muggle-borns like his father.

After McGonagall arrived Hermione set off for the common room while he roamed aimlessly. He really didn't want to be in the same room with Granger after her little display in McGonagall's office. He figured that when he saw her she would be more know-it-all than before. However, when he arrived in the common room Hermione was sitting on the couch reading a book which she didn't look up from as he selected his own book, and sat across from her and started reading. After about an hour he heard her rummaging around in her bag and pull out some homework. She then proceeded to do her transfiguration homework on the coffee table. He wanted to talk to her. He was curious as to how she would treat him. So, he too took out his transfiguration homework. When he had everything out he asked Hermione for her help, even though he really didn't need it. She looked at him smirked and said, "A pureblood asking help from a mudblood on some homework that he already has done? You better watch it ferret or people will think that you like me." She didn't use a condescending tone, she didn't even sound angry. She was just amused, she had chuckled when she said it. Now, he was angry. How dare she take amusement in his discomfort. He didn't care if she was or wasn't a mudblood. As of right now he hated her for her carefree attitude. For her friends that liked her even when she wasn't the most attractive female at Hogwarts, and he hated her for pity, sympathy, and concern. He hated her with every fiber of his being. He didn't think that her statement was the only thing that had triggered it. Maybe it was the way she beat him at everything. Maybe it was the way that people did her favors because they liked her and not because they feared her. Maybe he was just jealous. But, one thing he knew for sure was that he couldn't care less for this witch sitting in front of him laughing at his expense. He did the only thing he knew how. He retaliated. "Don't laugh at me you dirty mudblood whore. Yeah, I said whore, and so would you if you had seen your getup earlier. Sure you were hot but you also looked like I could offer you 5 sickles for a one night stand. Don't you ever think that we could be friends. I am NOT one of your 'buddies' got that?" He smirked he could see that he had stopped that thought in it's tracks.

"You know Draco." Hermione said calmly using his first name again, "I don't care if you want my friendship or not. Because I know that it's people like you who need it the most." She looked into his cold eyes and smiled.

"What to you mean people like me?!" He raised his voice.

"I mean, Draco Malfoy, that people who think that they are better than everyone else are the people who need friendship and compassion the most. There must be something horrible in your past, or in you home life for you to keep treating everyone like this. And, you don't have to confide in me about it. But if you want to, my door is always open. Figuratively speaking of course." Then without waiting for a response she cleaned off the coffee table and disappeared into her room.

Well, that was unexpected. He liked getting a rise out of people, and Granger was the only one that truly challenged him on an intellectual level. Especially when she was worked up. And he did NOT need 'friendship' and 'compassion' more than anyone else. And, he didn't think he was better than everyone else. He knew he was. Gosh he hated her. She just had to be an insufferable know-it-all all the time. It made him want to scream. He didn't know how he was going to make it through the rest of the year but he would have to keep his distance from Granger if he wanted to keep his sanity.

**Okay, so this is just a preview really, please let me know if you like it or not!**


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